Meditation comes up a lot when we discuss lucid dreaming and I am curious and have a question:

I've heard that meditation helps with lucid dreaming countless times from many people.I have never meditated myself, and yet, I lucid dream frequently.

So although I don't think it is necessary to meditate to lucid dream, does anyone have experience lucid dreaming with and without the meditation practice and can tell me how it improves the quality or quantity at all?

This is a question for all you lucid-dreamer-meditators out there.I'm curious and thinking of trying it.

Hi Hagart.I lucid dreamed for years without meditating ( it was always unintended LDs ). Then I began a yoga and meditation practise. Once firmly established in this practise I began Lucid dreaming spontaneously much more frequently than ever. So I then thought ( for the 1st time) to look up Lucid dreaming on the internet ( just before joining this board; not long ago). Then I saw more about developing better control etc, and was so surprised to see that Lucid dreaming was not everyone's dream experience ( I just assumed everyone did that). So, to answer your question: meditation certainly did have a notable effect on me and lucid dreaming. I LD'd more often. I think the space you need to be in to meditate is similar to the 'awareness' you need for nice long controlled lucid dreams ( the type where you remember your goals, and are aware your body is sleeping in bed as you go about things, and remember thoughts you had from 'real life' while lucid dreaming etc; in other words a higher level of lucidity). My experience anyway.

The key to creativity is to remove the watchers from the gates, and realize how free you really are.

Meditation makes your LD's more vivid.. also, you think more straight-forwardly while in the dream, rather than pouncing on whatever's in front of you. You have the logic to slow down and think to yourself, "What do I really want to do in this LD?"Then you can plan on how you achieve that.

I know the feeling of being lucid in a dream, yet not having my full awareness. I forget my dream goals, and 'pounce on whatever's in front of me'.

But every now and then my lucid dreams are very vivid and I am fully aware. I just leave it to chance. But if I practice mediation I can see how that would help both the quality of the dream (which is linked to awareness) and the length of the dreams too.

Hagart. If you care to try this. This is a wonderful you tube meditation session that I find really does get your mind into that 'space'. This seems to have the same results as lots of meditation practise to reach a deeper level. Even if you don't meditate for the whole session, it will really give you a taste.

The key to creativity is to remove the watchers from the gates, and realize how free you really are.

I used to meditate a lot and I do think that the mind stillness state of meditation would be helpful for me at times now when Im having very racing life thoughts coming in when Im trying to relax. Anyway, its very helpful for relaxation if not helpful for other reasons too (eg increased awareness of things and increased ability to hold a single thought). It all depends on what kind of meditation you are doing.

This being said. LD is not a "meditation state" as such, thou being fully relaxed is important. I used to be able to meditate all night in a blank mind like state but one in which no visuals etc would come in.